The Awkward Hufflepuff
by HufflepuffDude1014
Summary: I do not own any of the rights to these characters. This continuation story is 100% my own. Other than borrowing "Effy" as the name of the daughter from a Tumblr blog! Image is
1. Chapter 1

July 10th, 2019

Harry Potter sat up straight and untied the letter from his tawny office owl. It had a Hogwarts crest on it, so he eagerly opened it.

"Mr. Potter,

I am corresponding with you because in one week's time I will be traveling to your old childhood home to speak with Mr. Dudley Dursley and his wife Anastasia. Their daughter has been accepted into Hogwarts and is the same age as your Lily. I know you have not been in touch with that side of your family since before you came of age, but being as it is, I thought you might like to accompany me to break the news to them, and to tell their daughter Elisa Fay Dursley all about our institute. It would be even better if you brought Ms. Lily Potter with you. If you would like to accompany me, please send an owl no later than tomorrow evening. If you would not, disregard this correspondence and I will know your answer.

Best regards,

Headmistress Minerva McGonagall

Harry read the letter numerous times, took off his glasses, and rubbed his eyes. So Dudley had a magical daughter. His own daughter's age. Harry knew that Dudley didn't think he was a waste of space, and was grateful he saved him from the dementors, but he was unsure how Dudley would react to having his own magical child. Harry put his glasses back on and wrote a brief letter to his wife, Ginny, telling her there was an urgent matter they needed to discuss. His sons were away at a quidditch camp that George and Angelina had created the year before for young children during the summer, and would not be back until the next week, and Ginny and Lily were the only ones home at the moment, so he knew she'd have no problem bringing Lily with her.

Sure enough, not even thirty minutes after his letter was sent, Ginny and Lily arrived in his office. "Harry, what is wrong?"

"Lily dear, give dad a kiss, and go over next door and ask Dorris to give you one of her delicious maple scones! We'll call you back in after a few minutes!"

"Ok dad," Lily said as she bounced over, gave Harry a peck on his cheek and then flounced out the door. Harry kissed his wife, and handed her the letter from Headmistresses McGonagall. Ginny read it, and had the fierce, blazing look in her eyes that he loved, and looked up.

"Harry. What if you have to see THEM. What if THEY are there?" She said, anger in her voice.

"Honestly, I am more concerned about his daughter than myself. She does not deserve the abuse I got. And if they are there, I will not hesitate to put my uncle in his place."

"Good!" Ginny explained, a bit of the fire gone from her voice. "But on the OFF chance, do you want to subject our daughter to that kind of awfulness?"

"She's a lot like you. She'll probably hex the old bastard!" Harry said, laughing. Ginny burst out laughing herself, and they embraced. Wordlessly, they had decided to do what was best for their newly discovered niece. They would introduce her to the magical world, and if needed, a magical family that embraced her for who she was.


	2. Chapter 2

July 17, 2019

Harry Potter and his daughter Lily apparated to an all too familiar town. Harry took a deep breath, and looked around. Waves of emotion rolled through him, and tears welled in his eyes. Anger and sadness swept over him. He felt a small, but firm grip on his arm, and looked down to see his daughter looking at him as she sensed his pain. He nodded firmly and smiled, reaching to pat her hand. She tucked her small hand in his, and together they walked to the same spot that McGonagall had spied on the Dursleys all those years ago.

A familiar tabby with spectacle markings was sitting there, as stiff as always. Lily, not knowing that this was her headmistress, reached out to pet her. Before Harry could admonish her, McGonagall actually gently rubbed against Lily's hand, while Harry's mouth was agape. McGonagall then transformed back to her human form, causing Lily to shriek and jump behind her father, Professor McGonagall and Harry laughed gently, and he ruffled his daughter's hair.

"Shall we proceed Mr. Potter?" McGonagall asked sternly.

"Now is as good as time as any." Harry said with a grimace. Together they walked to a familiar house, and knocked.

Dudley answered the door, his face took a look of shock, then confusion, and then finally rested on resolution. As part of him had expected this visit. Effy, his daughter, had accidently turned her hamster into a butterfly last month. Which the cat promptly ate. Dudley sighed, and looked at Harry warily. He stuck out his hand for a handshake, and Harry apprehensively took it and shook once. Lily's eyes were wide as she sensed the tension between the cousins. "Well Harry, why don't you and your, I take it daughter? And your guest come in, I know what you're here for, my wife Ann and I were just discussing this possibility just last night because this is around the time your first letter arrived." Harry nodded, took his daughter's hand, and walked with her and McGonagall into the house he once called home.

As they approached the cupboard under the closet. Harry broke down. There was a sign on the door. It read "No child will ever call this space home again, and no child should ever feel so alone. This closet is not dedicated to my cousin, but it is in memory of him and the life he should have had." Harry braced himself against the wall, and that's when he saw his childhood home, truly for the first time. There were moving pictures of him, dating back to his 4th year at Hogwarts. His wedding picture from the Daily Profit, announcements for each of his kids births. All framed. There was a picture from one of Dudley's many birthday parties, Harry, thin and scrawny in oversized clothes. Harry turned to Dudley, his mouth open, and there were tears in his cousin's eyes. McGonagall, who was rare to show emotion, looked like she too was having a hard time keeping her composure. Lily was looking around in wonder.

"Harry. I don't talk to my parents anymore. Not since the summer you turned 18. When we left that day, I got into an argument with them about how they treated you, and I left them behind. I got the deed to the house about 12 years ago, when dad heard I got married. I sent a letter of thanks, but received no reply. I don't think I wanted one. During the last two decades, I have followed you, and I now even get the daily profit. I befriended witches and wizards, and my wife's cousin is a muggleborn so she grew up knowing about magic. We met online in a magic for muggles chat room, and hit it off. We raised our daughter to know about both worlds. And she is proud to be your niece, as I am proud to be your cousin." Dudley trailed off, as the emotion hitched in his voice. Harry wordlessly embraced his cousin, and they cried together. When they released and stepped back, Dudley cleared his throat and continued. "I wanted to reach out, but I was afraid you'd hate me. If my daughter had never gotten this visit, I doubt we would have reconnected. I was too ashamed of being part of their abuse for so long."

"Dudley, I forgave you the moment you said I was not a waste of space. I knew then that you had left the tea as a peace offering at my door. If you had reached out to me after the war, I would have listened. But everything happens for a reason big D. " Harry finished with a lopsided smile. Dudley smiled and gestured for them to sit on their sofa. He got out his phone and called his wife.

"Hey Ann, it's happening. Can you get off work early and pick up Effy from Kate's house?" There was incoherent speech coming from the phone, but Dudley smiled and said "ok hon, I love you, see you both soon!" He hung up after a minute, and said to Harry, Lily, and McGonagall "They will be here in about half an hour, I'm sorry about the wait, but I know why you didn't contact first. Would you like some tea and biscuits while you wait? I can also heat up some pot roast if you're feeling peckish."

"Actually, I am quite famished Mr. Dursley, as I have been awake since before dawn. I would love a plate of pot roast and a strong cup of tea. I must say, I had a much different idea of how this encounter would go, and I am pleasantly surprised, and touched, at what you have done in your home." McGonagall said, speaking for the first time since she arrived. "Also, I am afraid that with everything I have forgotten to introduce myself. My name is Minerva McGonagall, and I am the Headmistress of Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. I am honored to be in your home today, and I am sure that I will be just as honored to meet and teach your lovely daughter, and to meet your wife. We will get into more specifics about how everything is done when they have joined us." McGonagall gave a rare smile and sat in a sturdy armchair by the fireplace that the Weasleys had blown up in his 4th year. Harry laughed at the memory and Lily looked at him quizzically.

"Your late uncle Fred and George blew up that fireplace nearly 2 1/2 decades ago."

"Oh yeah you told me about that, when grandma and grandpa and everyone came by floo powder and the fireplace was blocked off!" Lily laughed at the story. Dudley had a sour, but amused expression.

"Remember that candy they gave me?" Dudley said.

"Oh lord I forgot!" Harry said, his mood abruptly changing to one of remorse. Dudley smiled and nodded.

"Don't feel guilty. I was a prat!" He exclaimed and winked at Lily who giggled.

"I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Lily! I start Hogwarts too this year! I wonder if Effy and I will be in the same house! If so it'll probably be Gryffindor. All of us are in Gryffindor. Except my brother Albus. He's a bit of a prat too which might be why he's in slytherin. But he is my brother, so I love him. Besides, he's partly named after a slytherin who I heard was brave, but I have heard the whole story and I think he was a prat too. But I'm named after my grandma. Lily Evans Potter. I've been told I'm like her. But I don't know because I never met her." Lily bounced into the couch and grabbed a picture frame with the clipping announcing her birth. "I was so wee here. Daddy look at my toes!"

Dudley and Harry laughed, and guffawed harder when they saw McGonagall's eyes widen. Another rambunctious Potter was headed to Hogwarts and Harry could see her mind's gears grinding at the thought of the trouble that seemed to follow anyone with the surname Potter or Weasley. "Don't fret too much professor," Dudley said, "If I know my Effy she'll try her hardest to keep this lot in check!"

McGonagall let out a small laugh, and smiled warily as Lily blushed. Dudley went to the next room to prepare the tea and heat the pot roast, and brought out the plates as Effy and Ann entered the house.


	3. Chapter 3

July 17, 2019

Part 2

Effy and Ann entered the house, and Harry, Lily, Professor McGonagall, and Dudley turned toward the noise. "Darling we're home!" Ann called, her voice almost musical with excitement. They rounded the corner, and Dudley embraced his wife and then turned and swooped down to pick up his daughter. He gave her a twirl while she giggled. He set her down, and her eyes widened, for she had not been told why they were coming home early. Her eyes settled on Harry's scar, and the realization stuck her.

"Uncle Harry! I'm so pleased to meet you! And you must be my cousin Lily!" Effy said, her eyes sparkling.

Harry cleared his throat and spoke. "I'm pleased to meet you, as well Effy. Your father has told us a bit about you I'm sure you're-" he was cut off by Lily.

"Oh my goodness hi, I'm Lily Potter! We're going to be best friends, I just know it! I'm going to introduce you to all the people in our year that I already know! Like Alice Longbottom, Professor Neville Longbottom's and Professor Hannah's daughter, she's a Ravenclaw and in my brother Albus' year. They have another daughter named Madeline but we call her Maisy, she's in our year and she's awesome! And Fred and George, they're my cousins too, their dad is my Uncle George and their mom is named Angelina. If you're a Ravenclaw your head of house is Hannah, if you're a Hufflepuff it's Neville. They're married and have a house rivalry but they don't play favorites. Usually the head of Hufflepuff is the Herbology professor, and a former Hufflepuff, but Neville was once a Gryffindor, isn't that cool! It totally works out, cuz he reminds me more of a Hufflepuff. But back to Fred the 2nd and George Jr. ! They're identical, just like George, my uncle was, but his twin brother died in the war, which is why Uncle George named his own twins after them. They are in their third year, same as my brother James, they're all in Gryffindor! My brother Albus is the odd one in Slytherin! So I'm hoping one of us is a Hufflepuff and the other is a Ravenclaw to complete the set!" The more Lily talked, the more Effy's eyes widened, and the more she smiled. This girl was going to be her very best friend. Effy embraced her cousin wordlessly and giggled. Lily held her cousin close. Being the only girl in her family, besides Rose, was hard. She truly needed a friend. Rose was constantly studying and was in her brother James' year and didn't really seem to have time for her.

"Even though technically I'm also your cousin Effy, it'll probably be easier to refer to you as my niece and me as your uncle, same with your dad, Lily, and my other two children. And you can call my wife Aunt Ginny, and Lily can call your mom Aunt Ann." Harry said awkwardly. Dudley nodded once, and Ann smiled.

"Let's get to it then." McGonagall proclaimed, looking slightly exasperated with Lily, but also amused and hopeful about Effy.


	4. Chapter 4

July 17, 2019

Part 3

Everyone sat down, some with tea and biscuits, others with tea and pot roast, and others with nothing at all. Effy sat patiently in her seat while Professor McGonagall sipped her tea. She cleared her throat and began "Miss Elise Fay Dursley. I am sure you have deduced that I am here to formerly accept you into Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. We have four houses, which you have been told but I will go over it again. Gryffindor is the house that values courage, daring, nerve, and chivalry. Slytherin is the house that values ambition, shrewdness, cunning, strong leaders, and achievement. Hufflepuff is the house that values hard work, dedication, patience, loyalty, and fair play. Ravenclaw is the house that values intelligence, wit, wisdom, creativity, originality, individuality, and acceptance. Whichever house you are sorted into, your house becomes your family. Any triumphs will earn you house points, and rule breaking will lose them. We encourage all students to be studious and work hard, but to also treat your classmates and peers with respect regardless of their house. I have provided the standard list of school materials." McGonagall ended curtly as she passed the list to Ann. Ann read over the materials and peered at Professor McGonagall.

"Professor. I understand for aesthetic reasons you all enjoy your parchment, ink, and quills. But may I send Effy here with some actual pens and pencils and spiral notebooks, binders, and folders? Until now, Effy has used those and she is quite organized. It seems to me that this method might cause disorganization and mess. For not only my daughter, but other students as well." McGonagall's eyes widened.

"You are the very first muggle parent to suggest such. I do not see why not." The left side of her mouth formed a smile, along with her eyes as she continued. "In fact. If it goes well, as Headmistress, I might look into changing some things and having parchment, quills, and ink be a thing of the past; however, it depends." McGonagall seemed to glow with excitement. "Would you mind bringing me some of these items and I could look them over now? It might be time to catch up to the modern era. Electronics such as light bulbs do not work at our school because of the heavy magic in the air, but school items could be of use." Effy ran off to collect some of her school items from her bedroom, and came down with her backpack on her back. McGonagall's eyes widened again as Effy swung it off of herself. "What is that satchel called?"

"It's called a backpack professor."

"Brilliant!" McGonagall said. A glimmer in her eyes. "Those could also be of use!"

One item at a time, Effy showed McGonagall her binders, mechanical pencils, her gigantic erasers, her regular Number 2 pencils, her black and red pens,(stating, of course, that red was perfect for teachers to circle mistakes to which McGonagall smiled) her spiral notebooks, folders, binder dividers labeled with different things such as "homework," "study," and "extra credit." McGonagall looked through everything with glee. And nodded firmly.

"This will do nicely. You are my first stop. And I have not sent any letters out yet this year. I am going to discuss these items with our magical shops! I also know a muggleborn wizard that went into a production business after graduation. I will look into having him produce items for Hogwarts such as these. May I borrow one of each of these items? Some of these have labels, I would love if we could get Hogwarts labels on ours, and magic them to have his label on them for muggles!" McGonagall was downright enthusiastic at this point, and Harry had never seen the woman so animated. Dudley and Ann were smiling brightly. "Hogwarts will join the 21st century Mr. And Miss. Potter, and Mr. And Mrs. Dursley. Due to what you have shown me, I can see we are quite outdated. As I said, you are the first to mention this, or we might not have been so outdated. Most muggles accept the list without question. By the end of the week, Flourish and Blotts will be carrying this school gear, including backpacks!" McGonagall exclaimed.


	5. Chapter 5

The Awkward Hufflepuff chapter 5

July 31, 2019

Part 1

Sticking with tradition, long established by Hagrid, the Weasleys in abundance set off to Diagon Alley, while the Potters set off for Number 4 Privet Drive.

Dudley, Ann, and Effy were eagerly waiting on their sofa for their escort to Diagon Alley. They heard their doorbell ring, and nearly ran to the door with unrestrained excitement. Harry, Ginny, Lily, Albus, and James all waited outside of the door with smiles on their faces. Albus was the only one who's smile was forced. Effy nodded, realizing this was the middle brother that Lily spoke of. Lily flung herself at Effy and squealed and danced with her. "Oh goodness me cousin I am so excited!" She exclaimed with glee.

"As am I Lily!" Effy returned with equal enthusiasm.

"Hello Effy, I'm you're Aunt Ginny, these are our other children, James," she said ruffling her eldest son's hair, "and Albus," whom she hugged close to her side. "I'm so pleased to meet you and your wonderful parents." She then lightly hugged both Ann and Dudley, and Ann kissed her cheek in greeting.

"I'm you're Uncle Dudley, this is your Aunt Ann, and of course my Effy. Let's get this show on the road you lot. Now. How are we getting there Harry? You never said." Dudley paused to hear Harry speak.

"My sister in Law, Hermione, has arranged to add your house officially to our floo network. Your house is now officially a wizard's house. With all of the bells and whistles, as I am sure Lily will be spending time here on holidays when our brood isn't at our house. We will be traveling by floo powder. Now, you have to speak very clearly. I will allow my children and wife to all go first, so you can hear each of them do it correctly before the three of you attempt it. My first time was not ideal, I would be loathe to allow the same to happen to you all." Harry said. They gathered in the living room near the fire place, and one by one, all of the Potters except for Harry went through the fireplace. Next, Effy went.

"Diagon Ally!" Effy sang forcefully, as she threw the powder down. She was gone in green smoke.

"Ok, Now you Dud, just do what everyone else did and you'll be fine!" Harry exclaimed as he smiled at his cousin. Dudley entered the fireplace the same way as his daughter.

"Diagon Alley!" Dudley bellowed clearly. He threw down the powder and was whisked away in green flames. He landed in an unfamiliar fireplace, and he was pounced on by his daughter. "Effy. That was incredible!" Dudley said, gasping for breath. "I am not saying I enjoyed it, but I will get used to it."

"Daddy here comes mum!" Effy whispered. Ann emerged coughing and gagging, her eyes red.

"That was nearly as unpleasant as your baked cod Dudley!" Ann said while coughing and laughing at Dudley's indignant face.

"You will never let me live that down will you woman?" He roared good naturedly as he kissed her.

"Ewww Dad!" Effy cried. "That's gross!"

"Not as gross as your father's baked cod!" Ann said, giggling as she escaped Dudley's arms. Everyone was howling with laughter as Harry emerged.

"So apparently father, we mustn't let Uncle Dudley cook us any cod!" James exclaimed, a twinkle in his eyes.

"Oh Lord. What did I miss?"

"I guess you'll never know Harry!" Dudley said with a wink.


End file.
